Dam fish recovery project could empty Detroit Lake for 1-2 years

A $100 million-plus project to improve conditions for endangered fish could mean emptying Detroit Lake for one or two years.

The Statesman Journal reports the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to build a 300-foot tower and floating screen at Detroit Dam to improve water temperature and fish passage for salmon and steelhead in the North Santiam River.

But the $100 to $250 million project could impact water supply in Salem and Stayton, for farmland irrigation, and to the economies of Detroit and the Santiam Canyon from the loss of recreation at the popular reservoir.

The project aims to preserve native fish while maintaining the benefits of dams and reservoirs.

The project still needs to go through multiple planning phases before construction is scheduled for 2021.